A blog on training schedule and other mussings on my first sub-24 hour Western States Endurance Run.

Bake at 160-180 F at 7000 feet for 90 to 120 minutes or until tender

I think it's a good thing that I'm by myself here in Soda Springs, California.

The house I rented at 7,000 feet of altitude has a dry sauna. This allows me to get altitude and heat acclimated all in one shot. But now that I am also working on repairing my injured piriformis (a muscle in the buttocks), the arrangement is becoming even more efficient (and, to me, comical).

I figured it would be quite efficient if I used the 90 to 120 minutes of baking time in the sauna (at 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit) to massage my piriformis with a hard tennis ball. The process goes something like this:

As the entire weight of my body begins to roll perfectly balanced on a small tennis ball strategically placed right under the painful knot of my piriformis, the screams become inevitable . After about 30 minutes of sweating profusely from the heat and the pain (don't know from which one more), I place my buttock under freezing cold water (I guess it must come straight from the snow melt) and proceed, once again, to scream from the cold.

I repeat the process two or three times until I am fully baked or have a very tender ass.

Read This First

Western States 2010 was only my second 100 mile race. My first 100 miler was also Western States in 2007, and I completed that one in 27 hours. If I can do WS in sub-24, so can you. I am a runner with average running talent but with above average discipline, preparation, focus, and determination. I hope the information in this blog helps you accomplish your Western States race goal. I'll be at the Rucky Chucky (Near Side) Aid Station helping you get to Auburn. Say Hello.

Training Races Completed

5/29 & 31/10 Western States Memorial Weekend Runs ( First Day: Started at N44 - due to snow - ran to Dustry Corners, on to Foresthill and continued to Rucky Chucky: total 45 miles; Second Day: Off; Third Day: 2 miles North of Greengate to Finish - 22 miles)